Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-04-25
THE COMMERCE. LAW.
Official Statement Prepared by the
Inter State Commerce Commits
sion to Accompany Its Orders,
Tbs Commission Is now Considering
the Course it will Adopt in Re-
ference TO Section FOur.
Any Statements of Facts in Regard to the
Working of that Section are Ear
Mostly Solicited.
INTERSTATE COMMERCE.

WASHINGTON, April 24.-FollOwing is
an Official statement prepared by the
interstate commerce commission to &C
company its orders in the matter of
transcontinental railroads: ''The commits
sion has made orders, upon the applica-
tion of the Southern Pacific, the North
ern Pacific, the AtchisOn, Topeka and
Santa Fe and the St Louis and San Fran
cisco Railroad Companies for relief from
the operations of section of tie 'sct to
regulate commerce. permitting car
riers to establish rates to and
from the Pacific coast at less
amounts than to and from intermediate
points for period not eXCee ding seventy
five days. This result has been reached
upon considerations which are not neces-
sarY to be now stated in detail, but which
appear to leave no present alternative.
1t is in the evidence before US that rates
TO and from local points on some of the
transcoutinental lines have been some
what reduced since April >, and also that
through rates which prevailed prior to
April were the result of a war Of rates
among It's lines and produced a disCrep-
aucy between local rate S and through rates
which the carriers agree was ulreasOn-
commission is earnestly engaged in con-
siderlng the course which it will finally
adopt in reference TO section Many
conflicting interests have Indicated
"a desire to be heard, and
should have sn opportunity to
be heard before fnsl decision is reached.
All such persons are invited to present
such facts for the purpose of this matter
only, and without authorizing any prsc-
tiCe OF that nature, in order to get the
fullest informant u and afford the most
extended facilities to Instant points OF
the country, the commission will receive
af1idavits as to matters of fact, and printed
or written arguments of matters of
fact, or of law, which should be
presented without delay. This invitation
extends to the general subject of the
questions arising under section 4, and
is not limited to the petitions Of trans
continental roads. Meanwhile the Rtten-
ton of carriers is directed to the pro-
priety Of deyoting the intermediate time
to the preservation and adoption of
tariffs which shall ate mpt to meet in
good faith the require ments of The act to
regulate commerce, giving the same fair
Interpretation in all it, various
features. In making this order
he commission does not finally determine
upon It's propriety, but the further the
Investigations now in progress 1t is pro-
per, right aud Just that the permission
provided for be given in order that gen
eral business shall receive no unneCes-
sary shock or damage. The orders are
intended to prevent as far as may be
pos sible, the creation of mischief in
a period, which, in s certain sense,
is transitory, and which must of
necessity involve changes, the full extent
of which cannot at present be foreseen.
The order in the case of each lines reCites
in its preamble circumstances peculiar to
the line to which it applies. The follow
ing language Is common TO all and
emoodies the substance Of the
documents: "And it appearing to
the commission after an Investigation
of said petition and facts presented
in support thereof, to be a proper case
for temporary order until the commits
sion can make complete examination of
the matters alleged as reasons for re
lieving said COmpany's from the operation
of said section of said act, it is ordered
that said application be and the same is
| hereby granted temporarily subject to
modification or revocation by the COM
mission at any time upon hearing or Otherl
wise, and said Northern Pacific Railroad
is hereby temporarily relieved from the
| operation Of section 4 of said act to the
extent specified in the recital of this order
and for a period not greater than seven
| ty-fVe days from this date, subject, how
| ever, to the restriction, that while this
| or, er remains in force said common
carrier shall not charge or receive COM
pensation + transportation of property
| between sections on its line where more
Is charged for & shorter and longer
| haul than the rates prior to the
| 10Th of April. 1t is further con-
iii ion of this order that a printed
copy hereof shall be forthwith publicly
| posted and kept in the schedule rates and
charges at every station named herein
upon the line OF said company for use OF
| the public.
Marine Indulgence